Orioles vs Rays Preview: Can The Orioles Steal First Place in The AL East?

The American League East is the best division in baseball. Every team in the division has a winning record, and every team in the division also has a chance at winning or earning a Wild Card spot in the AL.

Tampa Bay has been at the top of the AL East since Day 1. But the Rays could be a part of the MLB Wild Card standings with a series loss against the Baltimore Orioles this weekend.

The Rays and Orioles will play a four-game series from Thursday to Sunday. Whichever team wins the series will lead the division on Monday. However, if that happens, the series could end in a tie, giving the Rays a little wiggle room at the top of the division.

This will be a wild four-game series between two of the best teams in the American League. Here’s our Orioles vs Rays preview for the entire series.

Tampa Bay’s Pitching Advantage

The Tampa Bay Rays currently lead the MLB in ERA as a staff. They’ve given up a 3.71 ERA and have held teams to a .228 average this season.

The Rays aren’t piling up strikeouts at a high rate this year. But they’ve limited teams to a .678, which is third-best in baseball behind the Twins and Mariners.

Meanwhile, the Orioles have allowed an ERA of 4.21 as a staff this season. They’ve also allowed a .252 average and .731 OPS this year.

Not only will the pitching matchups favor the Rays, but the Rays have also hit more consistently than the Orioles. Tampa Bay is fourth in the league in OPS compared to the Orioles, who are ninth in that category. Tampa Bay continues to hit a high rate of extra-base hits, allowing them to score more runs than Baltimore.

Orioles Make Money On The Road

Baltimore has been one of the most profitable teams regarding Major League Baseball betting odds this year. On the road, the Orioles have gone 28-17 and have earned a $100 bettor $1372. They’ve also gone 56-38 on the run line this season, giving bettors a $1641 return on $100 bets per game.

Does Baltimore have what it takes to earn another series win on the road? Check out our Orioles vs Rays preview for each game below.

Kyle Gibson will start for the Orioles in the first game. He’s got a 4.77 ERA and has allowed a .162 ISO and wOBA of .344 to his last 94 batters faced. He’s struggled more against lefties over the previous month.

On the flip side, the Orioles will face righty Tyler Glasnow. Baltimore’s lefties have hit a .228 ISO and wOBA of .353 against righties over the last month.

Glasnow has given up a .279 ISO and wOBA of .362 to his last 46 lefties, but he’s still earning over 43% of strikeouts in the previous 30 days. None of that will matter if the Orioles can’t put the ball in play.

The Rays will be -165/+151 favorites against the Orioles in Game 1. The total is currently at 8.5, with the Over juiced to -110.

Kyle Bradish will get the call for the Orioles in the second game. He’s earned nearly 29% of strikeouts over the last month but has still had a little trouble against lefties, allowing a .206 ISO and wOBA of .381 over the previous month.

On the other hand, the length of the MLB season might’ve finally got to Zach Eflin. He’s 10-5 with a 3.59 ERA. However, he allowed the Kansas City Royals to score five runs on seven hits in three innings. Over his last two games, he’s thrown just eight innings while allowing seven runs.

Grayson Rodriguez made his first start since May on July 17 for the Orioles. He allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings against the Dodgers. He’s got all the potential in the world but hasn’t been consistent at the Major League level.

Meanwhile, the Orioles rarely hit extra-base hits against lefties. They’ll face Shane McClanahan of the Rays, one of the game’s most dominant lefties.

Tyler Wells will try and finish the series on a positive note for Baltimore. He’s had a terrific year but struggled in his last start, allowing five runs on six hits in two innings against the Dodgers. He’ll likely return to form, along with the entire pitching staff, now that they don’t have to face the Dodgers’ lineup.

Meanwhile, the Orioles will face rookie pitcher Taj Bradley. As a right-handed pitcher, Bradley has looked awful against righties in the last month. He’s allowed a .486 ISO and wOBA of .499 to his previous 39 righties. The Orioles’ right-handed bats should have a big game against Bradley if they can limit strikeouts.

For Baseball betting news, odds, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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